I am looking to build new PC that will handle X plane 11 and P3D v4. Its been 2 years since I last filed using p3d v3, so I’m looking to jump back in. I am not familiar with building computers so I don’t know if I should end up buying a prebuilt computer or giving it a try and assembling the computer myself. I would like my budget to be $2k or less, I am looking for the best bang for my buck I can get. Also is overclocking a cpu a must as I have never done that before.

 

See my post below in this forum.  I just built my own machine and am finishing it up today.  If you shop around you can get a good deal on items.  there are plenty of resources online for building your own machine.  The key is to take your time.  Read reviews.  Watch some you tube videos.  If you buy prebuilt you pay a premium for their service and don't necessarily get the best bang for your dollar.  If however you are uncomfortable taking a swing at building your own that may be the way to go.

CPU is a critical item.  A lot of motherboards today make it pretty easy to overclock but it can also be risky if you haven't done it before.  Again, do your research.

GPU is a big item too.  There are all kinds of opinions out there on what is best to go with.

Memory is another factor.  Long story short the three work together to get you your performance in a simulator.  Use the forum to help you there are plenty of us here that can give suggestions once you have ideas of what route you want to go.

Also, what do you plan to do with P3D and xplane?  Lots of add-ons or just stock?  Big 4K monitor, multiple displays, or just a single screen?  All can help us help you as you journey down your first build.

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nbfcQV

 

that is the lastest build that I am thinking about getting. I am planning on using Add ons for Xplane and p3d. Also I will be using a 2440 x 1440 monitor but eventually get up to 4K. 

 

Let me know the thoughts on the latest build

https://pcpartpicker.com/list/nbfcQV

 

that is the lastest build that I am thinking about getting. I am planning on using Add ons for Xplane and p3d. Also I will be using a 2440 x 1440 monitor but eventually get up to 4K. 

 

Let me know the thoughts on the latest build

Your build is almost identical to what I went with -- you even bought the same case (almost) -- I bought the S340 Elite.
I also bought a wifi-equipped motherboard since I do need wifi (Asus Maximus X Hero wifi)
Same cpu, same cooler, almost same memory (I went with 32 (2x16) G.Skill Trident mem)
Decided to try M.2 Nvme SSD's (250 boot, 500 sims), but you're probably just as well off (and richer) with your regular Evo SSD.
Almost same vid card, I did go for the eVGA 1080Ti  water cooled vs. your MSI one.
Similar psu, I went with an eVGA 800 watt 80+ platinum, wanted to give eVGA's new psu line a try.

I'm very impressed with P3Dv4 so far.  I did load in ActiveSky (ASP4?) + ASCA and cranked the clouds settings and it was still wonderfully smooth -- so that's a good sign.  Haven't had much time to fiddle with anything else yet.  As usual, proof in the pudding will be when I load in a complex airliner at a complex airport with AI and weather.  Then the overclockability that I build for will come in handy I bet.
 

 

 

May I ask why you are going for an ITX mobo and putting it in an ATX Case? The ATX offerings for z370 are pretty robust and you'll get a lot more features for the dollar. (Also, more space to work with!) I just built a Coffee Lake based build and it's incredible! OC'd to 5.0 with zero issues and jaw-dropping perf. Enjoy! 

I picked that mobo as it had the best reviews on pcpart picker for being easy to OC a cpu with. I am new to doing a build myself so I could be picking some wrong parts here. Any suggestions or help is much appreciated 

I agree with the lads above. Everything looks good for your build, but would recommend a full sized ATX board and case.

I built a mini ITX for my daughter recently and it's great for her needs. Trouble is, as mentioned by others, space on a Mini ITX is at a premium, so expect fewer fan headers, fewer internal USB headers and other limitations related to the small form factor too. 

Other than that, and considering your lack of experience with PC building... you have done a great job with your choices. 

What is a mobo that you guys recommend. Also is a full size atx the same as a mid tower? Or do I have to look for a full tower?

I went with a mid tower case.  Full towers are huge.  All of the Z370's are fairly new so it is tough to say, but I agree with the others, look for an ATX board.  My build is very similar to yours and it all fits very nicely in my Corsair 400 C mid-tower.  Your selections look good other than the ITX motherboard.

One caveat, you may want to wait a week to see how this intel CPU issue falls out.  If we do in fact loose 30% performance, which I hope isn't the case, you may want to look at the AMD Ryzen (sp?) option instead.

Go figure for me, first time I do a serious PC upgrade in over 5 years and then intel goes and has some big security issue discovered!!

 

How is the AMD chip stacking up against the intel chips? I guess I gotta google a benchmark and see

18 minutes ago, falcon7xx said:

How is the AMD chip stacking up against the intel chips? I guess I gotta google a benchmark and see

AMD is ok, but it has been proven that the Intel chipset just works better with ESP sims. Don't buy into the "30% less perf" hysteria that everyone is hyping up. At this point everything is 100% speculation and reports have stated it may not even affect 7th and 8th gen processors. 

ATX boards are sized to fit in both mid and full tower cases. I am an MSI guy, so I went with the SLI-Plus because it had multiple m.2 ports for the right price and MSI has the easiest BIOS to OC with imo. 

The other board I was seriously considering in the same budget range was the ASUS TUF Pro Gaming but couldn't find it anywhere in stock. You can spend anywhere from $80-350 on a mobo tho, so do your research and ensure it has the features you want now, and might consider in the future. 

Do you guys think it’s safe to order the i7-8700k? I want to get the computer order in so I can start my new build.